[Update: Added link to NPR story, thanks to Joe Bob in the comments]
$700,000,000,000.
That's what Bob Gates is requesting for next year's DoD budget according to NPR News
Gates argued that the present DoD budget as a percentage of GDP is lower than it was when he last served under Bush 41 (red herring). In order to justify this economically crippling quantity of money, he quoted Sun Tzu and George Washington.
This is political blackmail. Gates is a smooth talking panderer. This is more than he would have asked for if the Republicans still controlled the legislative branch. If you're looking for proof that the neoconservative agenda is alive and well, look no further.
[Quickie Talking Points on the Flip...]
- Gates is helping the Bush administration cover up the true cost of the war. He's replacing the resources that the war has drained from the DoD without the slightest mention of Iraq.
- Gates is now in charge of the tenth largest economy in the world. He's not an elected official. There (clearly) isn't any competent oversight.
- Gates is blackmailing Democratic lawmakers. Gates/Cheney/Rove know that there isn't the political will to cut military funding, even though it's crippling our economy. Dems aren't going to deny this kind of request because they know that the American public still wants a 'strong military'.
3a.) This is pure political gamesmanship. By asking for this much money, Gates pisses off the Democratic base. Doing the right thing (denying the request and trimming the DoD Budget) would be incredibly costly for the Dems with independents and heartland/middle class voters.
3b.) It's our job to change the political center on this issue. America's heartland needs to become familiar with the term 'war debt' and very quickly. For the good of our country, we need to create/amplify a backlash. We can't keep spending money like this. It's going to cripple our government with interest payments, and devalue the dollar. This is a moral issue.
- America isn't supposed to be an empire. Most Americans don't think of America as an empire, and don't particularly want America to be an empire. We have an imperial sized military budget.
- Gates is a liar. He's just a friendly sounding, sophisticated liar. He's not above spewing GOP talking points and using his relative credibility for short-term political ends. His response to the Dems new proposal (withholding some funds until july) was classic GOP.
How are we going to pay off this war debt?
Consider this an Imperial Open Thread.